Carolina, page 17
Nineteen
After Carolina had managed to extricate herself from Lord Pershore’s grasp, she walked blindly away, intent only on putting as much distance between them as she could. After twenty minutes her temper had cooled sufficiently to allow her to consider what to do next. Her reasons for lingering in Bath no longer existed, for now she no longer cared what Lord Pershore thought of her.
With sudden resolution, she made her way to Mrs. Lacker’s, and was soon explaining to that worthy lady that she rather thought the time had come to leave for London.
Mrs. Lacker looked at her in surprise, but, as Carolina’s face bore no trace of her inner turmoil, Mrs. Lacker surmised that she had misread the matter entirely and that Carolina really wasn’t worried about Lord Pershore discovering the truth. Although a last, lingering doubt remained, for she couldn’t quite forget the way Carolina’s voice had softened imperceptibly every time she had mentioned Lord Pershore by name. Chiding herself for being an overly sentimental fool, she pushed these thoughts to one side and began to discuss the move. The arrangements were simple enough, for Aunt Evelyn was to remain in the house at King’s Terrace, so Carolina and Bethany only had to worry about the packing of their own personal belongings.
Sally had already overseen the crating of her canvases, and there remained little else to do. Once they had satisfied themselves that all was in order, Mrs. Lacker’s suggestion that they move in two weeks was greeted with unanimous approval.
“I…I received a letter from Evan today,” Carolina said with a calmness that surprised her. “He…he was hoping that we would be able to join him soon, for it seems that Lord Salisbury is to deliver a speech that he wrote.”
“In Parliament?” Sally asked, proudly.
Carolina nodded.
“Then we must certainly be there to hear it. What other news did he have?”
“Oh! Chit-chat about this and that,” Carolina replied, and then, forcing a laugh, said, “It seems the latest on dit is about Lord Pershore.”
“What has he been up to now?” Mrs. Lacker asked anxiously.
“’Twould appear that Lady Teasdale is going to London to find him a wife.” With great effort she kept her voice flippant, but for a moment she was certain that the wild thumping of her heart was loud enough for everyone to hear. “Evan thinks I should tell Lady Teasdale my real name, in order to avoid any further embarrassment.”
“Would you like me to do it for you?” Mrs. Lacker asked.
There was a wealth of understanding in her voice, that caused Carolina to look at her sharply. Could it be that Mrs. Lacker had realized her real reason for refusing to leave Bath earlier? Had she been so transparently obvious about her fear of being snubbed by Lord Pershore? Aware that both Sally and Mrs. Lacker were waiting for an answer, she lifted her chin proudly and attempted a smile. “I see no necessity in telling her,” she said, “for I am quite certain that we shall not travel in the same circles. Anyway, it occurs to me that we have wasted altogether too much time worrying about that particular topic.” Mrs. Lacker patted her gently on the arm, but refrained from making further comment. Instead, she asked Sally if she would like to go and spend the evening with her sisters, “for once we are in London, my dear, I fear we will all be too busy to spend much time together.”
Sally needed no urging and quickly left to ready herself. “I promise to see that she takes a chair home, Mrs. Lacker,” Carolina said as she poked her hands into her fur muff. “And…and thank you for being so understanding.”
Soon after they had departed, Mrs. Lacker was roused from her doze by Perkins, her butler, who had come to announce the arrival of a visitor. She struggled to sit up as she looked at the card on the proffered silver salver. “Lord Pershore?” she queried. “I wonder what he is doing here? Show him in immediately, Perkins,” she commanded, “for that is the only way I am going to find out.” It didn’t occur to her to think that she might be betraying Carolina’s trust in entertaining a sworn enemy, for she was far too anxious to know what lay behind such an unprecedented call.
She rose, straightened her wig and smoothed the creases from her taffeta dress, so that by the time Lord Pershore was ushered in she was ready to receive him.
“My Lord,” she greeted him.
“Ahem! Good afternoon, Mrs. Lacker,” he said, bowing over her extended hand. “Pray forgive my intrusion, but my aunt has indicated that you may be able to assist me.” The fact that Lady Teasdale had done no such thing didn’t bother him in the slightest. He was a determined young man and didn’t shrink from telling a lie if it helped him achieve his goal.
“Lady Teasdale,” Mrs. Lacker remarked, her curiosity making her sound impatient. “A dear, dear person. How can I help you, my Lord?”
“It’s a matter of some delicacy, ma’am, and I…eh…I would appreciate it if I could talk to you in confidence.”
Intrigued by this secrecy Mrs. Lacker sat down on a sofa and patted the space next to her. “Pray be seated, my Lord. It’s not often that my advice is sought under such circumstances, but I do assure you that I can be the soul of discretion.”
“My thanks, ma’am,” Lord Pershore said, complying with her invitation. You employ a young woman by the name of Sally Mallory, I believe?”
“Y-yes,” Mrs. Lacker replied a little dubiously, wondering where this was going to lead.
“And she has a sister?”
“Two,” Mrs. Lacker offered swiftly, for she was beginning to suspect Lord Pershore’s motives for seeking all this information.
“I refer to the eldest,” he replied smoothly. “Carolina.”
“How…how does she concern you, my Lord?” Lord Pershore turned and faced Mrs. Lacker, subjecting her to a steady gaze which she found to be quite unnerving. “Unfortunately,” he said very softly, “I find she concerns me a great deal.”
Mrs. Lacker found herself blushing as Lord Pershore’s gaze didn’t waver from her face for a moment. “You…you know?” she stammered in a tremulous voice.
“About her being Miss Evans?” Mrs. Lacker nodded. “Yes, I have known for some time now.”
“My goodness me,” Mrs. Lacker exclaimed, sinking back against the cushions. “That is a relief. Although I must confess that I thought Carolina had decided not to tell you.”
“Oh! but she hasn’t.” Lord Pershore laughed. “And she doesn’t know that I know. That is where the rub lies.”
“You have me baffled, my Lord,” she replied, her brow creased in perplexity.
“It’s quite simple, really. I want Miss Mallory to tell me herself of the deception she has been carrying out, yet I don’t think she will unless I force her hand.”
“Dearie me!” Mrs. Lacker exclaimed in obvious agitation. “I don’t know what to suggest. You…you see, I have already assured her that…that on account of your earlier dealings with her father it would be quite in order for us to give you a wide berth.”
“She was perturbed then by this absurd charade?” Lord Pershore asked, feeling inordinately pleased by the idea that Carolina was bothered.
Mrs. Lacker nodded. “But now, my Lord,” she said, squaring her shoulders in a determined fashion, “I think the time for plain speaking has come, don’t you? Exactly why do you want Carolina to tell you herself?”
“I don’t think I have a ready answer for that, Mrs. Lacker. You could say, I suppose, that I’m curious to find out to what lengths she will go to prevent me from discovering the truth.”
“Pardon my bluntness, my Lord, but why is this so important?”
“Because, in order to propose marriage to the wretch, I feel I must be properly introduced.”
If he thought to surprise Mrs. Lacker by so bold a statement he was disappointed, for, as he finished speaking, an expression of complete satisfaction crossed her face and she beamed her pleasure at him. “I…I suspected as much,” she said, “and will do everything I can to help. The only snag is that something you have done has upset Carolina and now would be a highly inappropriate time to force the issue.”
Lord Pershore grinned ruefully “I waylaid her this afternoon and we had a slight misunderstanding.”
“She made no mention of it, though I’m sure that didn’t improve her mood. No, she had received a letter from her brother and he informed her of the gossip circulating in London about Lady Teasdale going there to find you a wife.”
“Good Lord!” he exclaimed in annoyance. “Who would have thought that a few careless words to a friend would come back to haunt me in this manner?” He paused momentarily and then laughed. “Well, in that case I had best not disappoint the lady. I shall tell my aunt in which direction to look for my bride and hope matters will resolve themselves that way.”
“I wouldn’t be too certain,” Mrs. Lacker advised. “Carolina can be quite contrary. I have a better suggestion. Why not come to the ball that Carolina is holding for her youngest sister when we move to London? I will send you an invitation without her knowledge and can even arrange to have her out of the way while you’re announced, if you agree to arrive at nine promptly.”
“To what avail, ma’am?” Lord Pershore queried. “Why, then she will have no idea of your presence until you choose to confront her. And, if I’m not mistaken, the shock of seeing you will force her to come to her senses and she will tell you everything.”
“Your suggestion certainly has merit. Unfortunately, something else has just occurred to me that could jeopardize all.”
“Really?” Mrs. Lacker responded, unabashedly enjoying herself. “What?”
“I’m Henry Plummer, and undoubtedly Evan will greet me so.”
Mrs. Lacker stared at him, her distress evident. She made a grab for the fan that was looped over one wrist, and, opening it, hurriedly began to wave it in front of her face. “Well, that, my Lord,” she finally said, “could prove to be very awkward.”
“Yet, now that I have given some consideration to your suggestion,” Lord Pershore replied glibly, “I think it will work.”
“How?” Mrs. Lacker queried in bewilderment. “Carolina will never forgive you. Indeed, I am persuaded now that it would be best if you didn’t come to the ball at all, for she’ll never forgive either of us.”
“I’m prepared to take that chance, Mrs. Lacker. For I hardly think she will create a scene at her own ball. It is my feeling that I must catch her when she is most vulnerable, and that, I’m sure you’ll agree with me, is the day she reenters Society.” He rose, smiling broadly. “I’m very pleased we had this chance to talk, Mrs. Lacker, for it has helped me solve the one remaining problem I had. I shall look for the invitation with ill-concealed impatience and, as you say, will arrive at nine o’clock promptly.”
Twenty
If Carolina thought her inner turmoil would be eased by her decision not to worry about Lord Pershore or Lady Teasdale, she was mistaken. She knew, subconsciously, that she was wrong and spent many sleepless nights thinking about it. Consequently, when the time came to move she had faint shadows under her eyes.
Bethany, who had kissed George a fond farewell ten days earlier, was overjoyed at the prospect of being reunited with him. Even so, in spite of her own happiness, she couldn’t fail to notice how subdued her older sister was. Concerned lest she was responsible, she asked Sally if she knew the cause of Carolina’s mood.
“If you are thinking that Carolina still harbors a secret passion for George,” Sally replied, “you are entirely mistaken. I think I know the cause, Bethany, and if I am right then only Carolina can put things right.”
Bethany sighed with relief. “I…I did suspect something of that nature,” she confided. “For George is so wonderful I can’t imagine anyone not loving him. But what is it that ails her? Is there nothing we can do to help?”
Sally shook her head. “No, it’s as I said. Carolina must help herself. And, as for what is bothering her, I will tell you. But first you must promise not to divulge a word, even to George, until I say you can.” Mystified, Bethany agreed, and by the time Sally had finished telling her about Carolina’s dual identity and the reasons for the deception, Bethany was clapping her hands in delight. “I think that is the most romantic story I have heard,” she declared. “And whoever would have thought that Carolina would be capable of such intrigue? Oh! I do hope things work out for her, because Lord Pershore sounds as though he is a wonderful man…” She broke off, aware of Sally’s quizzical gaze. “I know Carolina holds him responsible for Papa’s death, but surely Papa knew what he was doing when he gambled away his last farthing?”
“I agree with you. And, what is more, I’m sure that, had Lord Pershore known of Papa’s dire straits, he would have refused to play. But Bethany dear, what do you know of Lord Pershore that makes you think he is so marvelous?”
“George says he is,” Bethany replied promptly. “In fact, he has had dinner with him a few times recently, and Lord Pershore has given George all sorts of advice on managing his estates. I didn’t dare tell Carolina about this for I knew she would disapprove. And, at the same time, I didn’t tell George about Lord Pershore’s connection with this family, for I knew if I did then George would cut the connection out of loyalty to the Mallorys.”
“Dear, dear Bethany,” Sally said as she hugged her impulsively. “Such thoughtfulness. I hope George really appreciates you and never stops telling you how lovely you are.”
Bethany returned Sally’s embrace. “He does,” she whispered, “but I must confess that he has wrought this change in me. Do you remember how awful I used to be? Why, I shudder when I think back over this past year. I’m amazed that you and Caro still want to have anything to do with me.”
“Oh! I don’t know,” Sally said, grinning down at her affectionately. “You weren’t that bad all the time. And, I discovered a long time ago that if one ignored your tantrums, you soon calmed down.”
“So that is why you appeared so aloof,” Bethany responded with a little laugh. “I…I thought, from the way you acted, that you disliked me intensely.”
“I did,” Sally said, “when you behaved so outrageously. However, I also understood how you felt about Papa’s death, and did my best to excuse you.”
“He did spoil me, didn’t he?”
“You reminded him of Mama, and he couldn’t bear to deny you anything.”
A small sigh escaped from Bethany as she studied the bemused expression on Sally’s face. “It’s taken us a long time to feel at ease with one another, hasn’t it? I…I hope we shall remain friends forever.”
“I think we will,” Sally answered slowly. “As long as we make allowances for the vagaries of moods produced by our vastly different temperaments.”
“Vagaries of what?” Carolina interrupted as she entered the room.
“Bethany and I have been having a long-neglected talk,” Sally responded with a smile.
“And the marvelous thing, Caro,” Bethany interjected, “is that we have discovered we actually like each other.”
Carolina arched an eyebrow in mild surprise. “Indeed,” she remarked, “that was something I never doubted. I just assumed you both showed your affection for each other in an odd manner.”
“Well, with all the ups and downs we have suffered, I’m amazed that any of us are on speaking terms,” Sally said. “But then I suppose we are better prepared to excuse bad conduct within the family than we are the seemingly bad conduct of outsiders.”
Carolina glanced at Sally thoughtfully, wondering what could have prompted that remark. She was about to ask, then decided against it because, for some reason, she knew the reference to an outsider was directed toward Lord Pershore. And that was a subject she was not prepared to discuss with anyone. So, instead, she merely nodded her agreement. “A true sentiment,” she murmured, and the look of disappointment that flittered across Sally’s face as she uttered this banal remark confirmed her suspicions. Sally obviously wanted to take her to task over her attitude toward both Lady Teasdale and her nephew. “Although,” she added quickly, to forestall any further comments, “I never thought that Evan and Bethany would ever quite be easy with one another.”
“Neither did I,” Bethany concurred, “for I can tell you now that, until I met George, I was quite terrified of Evan. He’s so clever with words that he always had me in a state of confusion. My reaction was always to answer back with the first thought that came to mind. And, unfortunately, it was always something silly.”
“How did George help you overcome this fear?” Sally asked with interest.
“Well, for one thing, he taught me how to listen and…he also encouraged me to reason things out for myself. You see, he never laughs when I make a mistake, or if I say something that makes little sense. He explains where or why I have erred, and then we discuss it.”
“My dear Bethany,” Carolina said in tones of great satisfaction, “all I can say in answer to that is that George may well have improved your mind, but you certainly have had a remarkable influence on him. One, I hasten to add, that has improved him beyond measure.”
“I’m so pleased you think so,” Bethany said, her eyes shining with gratitude. “I…I think I must be the happiest person in the world to have such wonderful sisters, and George as well.”
“Not quite so,” Sally protested with a laugh. “I’m more than happy, and wouldn’t want to change my life one iota. What about you, Caro?”
“Me? I…I…” she started to say, and then shrugged her shoulders. “I shall be happy once I have established myself as Evan’s official hostess, but at the moment I must confess to feeling a little useless.”
Sally squeezed her hand sympathetically. “I suppose it’s natural to feel a letdown now that your brood of siblings has taken up other interests. But, as you say, Caro, once you are settled with Evan, your life will pick up again.”
Carolina nodded, unable to speak for the depressing picture of the future looming ahead for her was suddenly unbearable. After several minutes of looking out the window, during which time Sally and Bethany exchanged troubled glances, she finally managed to regain her composure. “Goodness me!” she declared with false brightness, “you have so diverted me with all your chatter that I have forgotten to impart my news to you. Aunt Evelyn and Mr. Pheebs have decided to get married the day before we leave, in order that we may attend the ceremony.”
